Visiting Asia’s Best Kept Secret - A Winter Wonderland Along the Ancient Silk Road

In January 2025, the Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai Student Activities team took a group of students to Central Asia, and the historical country of Kazakhstan.

One of the lucky travellers was second year MSc Marketing, Communications and Brand Management student, Rutuja Deshpande. Read below what she thought of the one-of-a-kind experience.

In my final year as a student at MDX Dubai I decided to save up my money, travel to Kazakhstan and experience snow for the first time!

We landed at Almaty International Airport and met our lovely tour guide, Diana, who —with her colourful eyeliner and cheerful personality —set the stage for our trip. On our first day we visited Shymbulak ski resort, a world record holder for the world's highest night ski resort, an impressive 3200 metres above sea level.

Shymbulak was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for someone who's never seen snow before. The fresh air, beautiful snow and picturesque scenery made it a perfect spot for an introvert like me to sit and sip a warm cup of coffee and admire the view - we also experienced real snowfall for the first time that same night.

The next day we checked out of our resort and moved to Almaty city, staying in Kazakhstan Hotel, the tallest building in Almaty during the Soviet Union era with over 25 floors, giving us a bird’s eye view of the city.

By the third day, I had become besties with Diana; we talked about history, culture, and tourism as I mentioned that I have a bachelor's degree in tourism. One of my main goals of visiting Kazakhstan was to learn about the people and their culture. We visited Republic Square, First Presidents Park and the war memorial park which highlighted the country's role during the Second World War, learning about the struggles and sacrifices each generation in history made to form an independent Kazakhstan.

On the final day I decided to visit the Central State Museum to learn more about the Kazakh people and their nomadic history. Kazakhs truly were the original travellers throughout history who found the motivation to travel long distances without Google Maps and budget airlines, their curiosity to explore the unknown and persevere through the harsh conditions and limited resources deserves to be applauded.  

My highlight of the trip was the warmth and kindness of the Kazakh people, it taught me to push my boundaries of communication, as most people in the country spoke only Kazakh and Russian. I used a mix of hand gestures, translation apps and limited Russian to communicate with the local taxi drivers and shop vendors. I learnt that being a good listener and using non-verbal communication techniques are equally as effective and important as speaking.

From the local Ağa (uncle) taxi driver who helped me find my way to the museum, to the older women who helped me pick the perfect shawl to protect me from the harsh winter, they all displayed exemplary hospitality and kindness without speaking many words.  

I am fortunate as a Gen Z to have the opportunity to explore hidden gems like Kazakhstan due to the advancement of social media in our generation. I am glad that, for my generation, perceptions have changed which has expanded the scope of travel to visit such countries without being worried about safety or hostility from the locals.

This trip was made possible due to the MDX Dubai Student Activities team and our sports coaches who worked hard to make sure every student could comfortably enjoy the trip.

Travel is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give yourself as a 20-something year old who has just started to experience a world outside of school and university, and there is no better place than MDX Dubai to start your independent travel journey!

Follow @wearemdx on Instagram to keep up to date with their next exciting international and domestic trips.